Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Math in law enforcement

"Math Madness" Behind the Badge!

Our "Math Madness" guest on March 30th was Officer Mick Downing of the Nebraska State Patrol. He shared with us how he uses math in law enforcement. One of the ways he uses math is when he gives a ticket to someone who has broken a law. Josie put a list of fines on the smart board. Then Officer Downing had the students figure the fine for the "crime." We had some pretty serious offenders with pretty hefty fines. Here is an example of how a ticket was figured:

Going 76 mph in a 65 mph zone: $75.00

No tail lights: $10.00

Court costs: $48.00

Total: $133.00

(We learned that $48.00 in court costs is added to every ticket.)

Officer Downing also showed us how he uses math to figure distance and how soon he can get from one location to another. Location is determined by the mile markers along the highway. He also showed us how he has to account for the hours in his day by using decimals, not fractions.

For the last part of his presentation, everyone went outside to check out the patrol car. We noticed that his license plate matches his badge number, 255. He showed us the equipment he carries with him and turned on the lights and sirens. There were several different sirens he has to choose from. Everyone who wanted to sit in the backseat had the opportunity to do so. Officer Downing also reminded the students to always wear their seat belts, not only for their own safety, but also to avoid a fine for the driver of he/she is stopped.

Thank you, Officer Downing, for sharing with us how important math is in your job and letting us check out your patrol car!